Rodeos

I would like to point out that the bones that are most often broken in rodeos are those of the animals, not the cowboys ("The Buck Starts Here," Oct. 22). The calf being roped in your picture will be lucky to escape neck and back injuries, bruises, internal bleeding or death. Animals used in rodeos are not aggressive by nature; they are physically provoked into displaying wild behavior. Your photos clearly show the horrible violence inflicted upon the animals used in rodeos; your lack of commentary on it amazes me. JOY ZAKARIAN Cardiff-by-the-Sea

There's a new men's club in town that's all about shoe shopping and a stiff drink. The J.P. Club opened at the end of February on the third floor of Tod's Beverly Hills boutique. It's the second such club for the brand, which opened the first in its Milan flagship in June 2013. Boasting a one-on-one personal shopping experience, the by-appointment J.P. Club chummily showcases the new, upscale J.P. Tod's Sartorial Collection (from $1,700) in leather trunks, while inviting guests to relax in a gentleman's-club atmosphere that includes an outside terrace.

May is Be Kind to Animals Month yet several events in Ventura County this month make a mockery of the observance. Rodeo involves inherent abuse of animals. Imagine running in fear from a pursuer when suddenly a rope yanks you violently by the neck. Imagine being slammed to the ground, your legs roughly tied together. Imagine having a strap pulled so tightly around your lower abdomen that you kick and thrash about in pain. Imagine having your neck brutally twisted. All of these actions cause pain and stress, and many of them cause injuries and death.

In the once-grand foyer of a dark mansion, with rain whipping at the windows, Tobey Maguire raises a glass of Champagne and offers a toast to Catherine the Great. Although it sounds like a scene straight out of "The Great Gatsby," it wasn't West Egg but Beverly Hills. And Maguire was among the guests gathered in an electricity-challenged (thanks to the storm) Greystone Mansion on Friday night to honor the addition of "Gatsby" costume and production designer Catherine Martin -- a two-time (and soon to be four-time)

You think the Chicago Bulls are tough to go up against? How about the Brahma bulls? Scottie Pippen is tough. But he doesn't have horns. He won't stomp you to death. Rodeo bulls will. They'd eat you if they could. Chicago Bulls may come 7 feet tall, 280 pounds. Brahma bulls come 10 feet long, 2,500 pounds, a full ton of homicide on the hoof. They don't throw baskets at you, they throw dagger horns. Don't mention the word bull in any context to Clayton Price.

Animal rights advocates protested the staging of the Fiesta Rodeo here Sunday, claiming that the two days of bronco riding, steer wrestling and calf roping is harmful to the animals involved. Local residents are "outraged at the idea of an abusive rodeo in our neighborhood," said Gerard Livernois, a member of Orange County People for Animals and a resident of the unincorporated area.

Animal rights activists plan to picket Pierce College's 38th annual rodeo today to draw public attention to what they claim is cruelty to animals. The picketing has become an annual event at the two-day rodeo, which ends Sunday and benefits the school's animal science program. Santa Monica-based Animal Emancipation Inc.

An illegal rodeo that reportedly included bullfighting was shut down by sheriff's deputies who discovered it in Saugus while investigating a parking complaint, authorities said Monday. About 200 participants and spectators were dispersed from a ranch in San Francisquito Canyon Sunday afternoon, Sgt. David Stunson said.

Over the objections of animal rights groups, the City Council on Tuesday voted to regulate local rodeos according to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Assn.'s guidelines, which opponents say don't protect animals from inhumane treatment. "I think we addressed every issue that they had," Mayor Wyatt T. Hart told a standing-room-only crowd. "We just didn't go as far as they wanted us to."

The death of a horse during a rodeo at the Pond of Anaheim on Saturday prompted Mayor Tom Daly on Tuesday to call for an investigation and a report on what the city could enact to improve safety at such events. Daly's request that the city attorney and city manager both investigate the incident and possible legislation followed a plea by Dana Point resident Jane Garrison that the city of Anaheim prohibit "barbaric acts" at rodeos.

Costume and production designer Catherine Martin will receive the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style Award for her work on husband and director Baz Luhrmann's film adaptation of “The Great Gatsby,” the Rodeo Drive Committee and the city of Beverly Hills announced Wednesday. The award presentation is scheduled to take place Feb. 28 at Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. The Rodeo Drive Walk of Style Award was established in 2003 to honor significant contributions to the style and entertainment worlds.

A bevy of beauties turned out Tuesday night to toast Tory Burch and her new flagship store on Rodeo Drive. Jessica Alba, Emilia Clarke, Jaime King, Hailee Steinfeld, Kiernan Shipka, Isla Fisher, Emmy Rossum, Brooklyn Decker and many more came dressed in their best Tory, including resort-ready print dresses, lace sheaths and metallic sandals. "T is T," said Jones, the "Parks and Recreation" actress, "meaning Tory is timeless. " "New Girl" actress Hannah Simone agreed. "I grew up in Cyprus, and her clothes are so effortless, they remind me of home -- a very stylish home.

The building housing the expansive Gucci store on Rodeo Drive has sold for more than $100 million to a Spanish fashion mogul. Gucci, the famous upmarket Italian fashion house, is the sole tenant of the three-story building in the heart of the famed shopping district in Beverly Hills. The sale was announced by real estate brokerages Cushman & Wakefield and Colliers International, which did not disclose the identity of the buyer or the price. PHOTOS: Rodeo Drive over the years Real estate experts familiar with the Rodeo Drive property market said the new owner is Amancio Ortega, who paid Los Angeles landlord the Festival Cos. more than $100 million for the 12,250-square-foot buildling at 347 N. Rodeo Drive.

Customized TV Listings are available here: www.latimes.com/tvtimes Click here to download TV listings for the week of Dec. 15 - 21, 2013 in PDF format This week's TV Movies SERIES The X Factor The season finale features performances by One Direction, Mary J. Blige and Leona Lewis. 8 p.m. Fox Project Runway All Stars In this new episode, the designers join forces with some of the world's most influential fashion bloggers hoping to identify a new trend for 2014.

Italian luxury label Etro has opened a new 4,500-square-foot boutique in Beverly Hills, several blocks away from its former store. The shop offers women's wear, menswear, accessories and fragrance. It's at 2 Rodeo Drive, and is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. Sample sales and events Eyewear purveyor Morgenthal Frederics is hosting a holiday trunk show and wine tasting at its new Beverly Hills boutique on Thursday, with 10% of proceeds pledged to go to the Red Cross to help victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo return Dec. 5-14 to Las Vegas, and although much of the attention will be focused on the action inside the Thomas & Mack Center, you can still enjoy the rodeo even if you're not attending. Here are six ways to get in touch with your inner cowpoke: -- Get in the rodeo spirit in Las Vegas before the Finals Rodeo even begins with the Downtown Hoedown on Dec. 4 at the Fremont Street Experience . Country music singers including Joe Diffie and Chase Rice will perform on three stages starting at 4:30 p.m. The free country concerts continue through Dec. 15. -- Catch all the nightly rodeo action on the giant screens inside the Race & Sports Book at the Mirage . At 10 each evening, the venue will host the Rodeo Vegas party, with country performers including the Casey Donahew Band (Dec.

Rodeos have been a part of San Juan Capistrano's heritage since ranchers first settled here in the 1800s. Once a contest for working hands who matched skills against one another, they have more recently become a way for residents to raise big money for charities. So when an animal rights activist from nearby Dana Point asked the city to ban the tools of the rodeo trade--flank straps, spurs and electric prods--officials didn't take kindly to the idea of bucking a tradition.

The Tory Burch universe just keeps getting bigger. On Tuesday, the New York-based designer staked her claim on the West Coast's most famous shopping street, opening her first Rodeo Drive flagship. It's her fourth store in the Los Angeles area and her 13th in California. And yet there's something about Rodeo. "It's so iconic to L.A.," Burch said. The three-story, 4,700-square-foot space at 366 N. Rodeo Drive was designed by Burch and architect Daniel Romualdez, who designs all of the designer's stores and homes.

More than $100,000 in merchandise was stolen during a "window smash" burglary at a posh Rodeo Drive store, Beverly Hills police said Monday afternoon. Officers responded early Monday to a burglary alarm call at Saint Laurent Paris at 469 N. Rodeo Drive and found the front door shattered and the store burglarized. Several robbers fled with numerous handbags, clothing and shoes, according to the Beverly Hills Police Department. Detectives reviewed surveillance footage showing that multiple robbers had entered the store, police officials said in a statement.